Mochiko Chicken Recipe - Japanese Fried Chicken (2024)

FAQs

Is fried chicken better with cornstarch or flour? ›

Cornstarch Is the Secret to the Crispiest Fried Chicken

So how exactly does it work? When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier, and absorb moisture (from the frying and the chicken), which also means a crispier coating.

Mochiko (もち粉), mochiko sweet rice flour, or mochi flour, is a glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour) made of glutinous short-grain Japanese rice. Known for its sticky and chewy texture, the Japanese use it to make Japanese pastries and sweets.

Mochiko is much more affordable and available, but I highly recommend shiratamako. The flour has a much more refined flavor and springy texture than mochiko and is much easier to knead. The mochi stays soft and bouncy even after it has cooled.

My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.)

Not only does the vegetable oil in the mayonnaise soften the meat, but it the mayonnaise coats the chicken, resulting in a crispy exterior and a moist inside.

With regards to chicken, it's most often marinated in a mix of soy sauce, ginger, and sake, but other ingredients like mirin, sesame oil, and egg yolks may be added as well. Thrillist states that the intense flavor and soft crunch make karaage fried chicken stand out from its competition.

Use mochiko to add structure to your favorite gluten-free cakes and cookies, especially those that tend to crumble. Reduce the flour (whether all-purpose or a gluten-free blend) in the recipe by 15% and replace with mochiko.

Our Sweet White Rice Flour is 100% stone ground from high-starch, short-grain glutinous rice. It has a fine texture and neutral flavor, making it ideal for gluten free baked goods and to thicken sauces. It's also used to create rice noodles and mochi.

What is the shelf life of mochiko flour? ›

It's necessary to keep sweet rice flour in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (like a pantry). You can keep (and use) glutinous rice flour with proper storage for up to six months.

It is made by soaking glutinous rice in water, grinding it finely while adding water, and drying the precipitated mixture. Compared to other flours, it is a little more expensive because it takes more time and effort to manufacture.

Mochikoもち粉 is a type of glutinous rice flour (or sweet rice flour) made from mochigome which is glutinous short-grain Japanese rice. It is sometimes called Gyuhiko 求肥粉 or Daifukuko 大福粉. Known for its sticky and chewy texture, mochiko is primarily used to make Japanese pastry and sweets.

Mochi is one of the few carbohydrate sources that is packed with protein, and is free from cholesterol. Despite being described as 'glutinous rice', mochi is actually gluten-free and this word is rather used to describe it's thick texture.

Cornstarch can be used to help lend a crispy finish to fried or breaded foods. Corn flour can be used in addition to or instead of wheat flour to make bread, pancakes, biscuits, waffles, and pastries. However, since corn flour is free of gluten, the final product may be dense and more crumbly.

Even a half of a tablespoon of cornstarch will thicken a sauce into a translucent, silky slurry in under a minute. Flour's thickening abilities are much weaker and you will need larger quantities of it to thicken liquids. It also works better with fat-based sauces.

Interestingly, cornstarch contains 25 to 28 percent amylose, which is higher than the amount in wheat or potato starch (which are 20 to 22 percent amylose), and this is why cornstarch works the best for making crispy coatings on fried foods.

The wheat flour facilitates browning, while the potato starch provides structure, cohesion, and that all important crunch factor. What comes out of the fryer is super crispy fried chicken that's easier to make than your go-to dry-dredge method, but with a similarly substantial crust.